Golf: Norman conquest for Longmuir

SCOTLAND'S Bill Longmuir closed with a four-under-par 65 to claim his first Seniors Tour title at the Ryder Cup Wales Seniors Open at Royal St David's and then thanked Greg Norman for his part in his triumph.

SCOTLAND'S Bill Longmuir closed with a four-under-par 65 to claim his first Seniors Tour title at the Ryder Cup Wales Seniors Open at Royal St David's and then thanked Greg Norman for his part in his triumph.

Longmuir spent three months last winter practising at Norman's home in Florida and all the hard work paid off when he made up a four-shot overnight deficit to finish three shots clear of America's David Oakley on eight-under-par 199.

The victory was worth #75,000 and took rookie Longmuir to the top of the Seniors Tour Order of Merit.

"Greg has been a friend of mine since the 1970s when we played the European Tour together and when he heard I was looking for somewhere warm to practise he invited me to come over and stay with him," he said.

"It was very good of him and I have no doubt all the practice did me a lot of good. Last week, he called me to ask where I thought he should moor his boat when he comes over to Britain this summer.

"I suspect our next conversation will take on an altogether different tone."

Longmuir started the final round four shots behind Guillermo Encina, but grabbed his chance when the Chilean struggled to a two-over-par 73. He made his first move when he birdied the 376-yard second, but then dropped a shot on the sixth before moving to the top of the leaderboard with further birdies at the seventh, eighth and 10th.

He sealed his victory when he hit a glorious six iron to within five feet of the hole on the 202-yard, par-three 18th to set up the winning birdie.

"That has got to be one of the best shots I have ever hit in my life," said the Scot, who won six times in Africa but never tasted success on the European Tour.

"I thought at the time that David and I were tied for the lead so I knew I needed a good one. For a while I thought it was going to drop into the hole."

As it happened, Oakley bogeyed both of the last two holes to card a 70, but still finished one shot clear of Encina and two in front of compatriot Alan Tapie. Tapie romped through the field with a closing 67 to finish one shot ahead of England's Jim Rhodes.

English rookie Carl Mason ended his first Seniors Tour event in some style, closing with a fine three-under-par 66 to share sixth place alongside Italy's Guiseppi Cali and America's John Grace on one- under-par 206.

Mason, a former Scottish Open and Turespana Masters champion, made his score with five birdies over his opening nine holes. Turning into the wind, he dropped shots at the 10th, 13th and 15th, but then bounced back with his sixth birdie of the day on the 354-yard, par-four 16th.

"It all got a bit exciting out there for a while," said Mason, whose week starting in calamitous fashion when his wife, Beryl, fell and broke her ankle while he was playing his first practice round.

"It's great to be back competing again after such a long time," said Mason.

It also turned out to be a good day for the other Seniors Tour debutant, Ireland's Des Smyth, who arrived in Wales having won over $550,000 in his first 13 starts on the Champions Tour in the States.

Smyth posted a closing 69 that saw him finish in a share of eighth place alongside Bob Charles, Neil Coles, John Chillas, Eamonn Darcy, Baldovino Dassu, Dragon Taki and Barry Vivian. Coles and Charles also shared the Hardys Wines Super Seniors prize awarded to the leading competitor aged 60 or over.